Be active to stay healthy is the message that Capital BlueCross and the Pennsylvania Department of Health are conveying to middle school-aged children throughout the region with a grant program called Active Schools. The statewide program kicks off locally at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 20 at the Steelton-Highspire school gymnasium. Steelton-Highspire Middle School is an Active Schools grant recipient.
The press conference will feature remarks from keynote speaker Dr. Andy Baldwin. Doctor Baldwin, who appeared on the television show The Bachelor, serves in the Navy as a physician and recently completed a 415-mile bicycle tour across Pennsylvania visiting schools and promoting a healthy lifestyle for children. He will talk about the importance of incorporating good nutrition and plenty of activity into a daily routine at an early age.
Steelton-Highspire School District Superintendent Dr. Deborah Wortham, Capital BlueCross President & CEO Bill Lehr and Department of Health Chief of Staff Don Morabito will also make remarks.
Active Schools is a grant program that allows selected schools to implement year-long programs encouraging students to engage in physical activity at least 30 minutes each day. The $15,000 per school grants are funded by Capital BlueCross and the Department of Health.
With its grant money, Steelton-High Spire is getting a fitness center from Project Fit America. The fitness center is set to arrive by the end of January and features an outdoor fitness course and mobile indoor exercise equipment.
After the speakers are done making their remarks, the Steelton-Highspire students will participate in some of 11 fitness and health education stations throughout the gymnasium. Stations include kick-boxing; yoga; nutrition education; Dance, Dance Revolution and Project Fit America weighted hula hooping. Representatives from the Harrisburg City Islanders, Harrisburg Senators and Lancaster Barnstormers will also staff stations.
The festivities promise to bring plenty of energy, powered by Steelton-Highspire cheerleaders and motivating music from a Disc Jockey who will also serve as master of ceremonies. All the students will be donning an Active Schools T-shirt.
"The Steelton-Highspire staff can't wait for our Project Fit America to arrive so we can start our students on a structured path to good health," said Superintendent Wortham. "We are quite aware that a healthy body makes for a healthy mind. That is why we applied for the grant and selected Project Fit America as our daily activity. It is just so important to provide a complete learning environment and that starts with a child's individual health."
"Capital BlueCross is elated to see how energized the staff and students at Steelton-Highspire are to embrace Project Fit America," said Lehr. "They will undoubtedly have a great time using the fitness course and will become healthier in the process, which is the ultimate goal. We want to see the youth of our communities physically fit because healthy kids today lead to a healthy future tomorrow."
Genetic and environmental drivers shape early type 1 diabetes risk in children